Recommendations for handling child influences
Children are more and more active as influencers on social platforms. Researchers compiled a list for action on how parents should deal responsibly with pictures and videos of children on the Internet.
12/14/2020 · Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Raumwissenschaften · Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung │ Hans-Bredow-Institut · News · Forschungsergebnis
Children are more and more active as influencers on social platforms like YouTube, TikTok or Instagram. They present themselves and their everyday life to a large number of people - often completely without reflection regarding the information they reveal about themselves. And even if parents post a picture with their child on Instagram or publish a joint video on YouTube, children become actors on the Internet at an early age. The "Arbeitsgruppe Kinder-Influencing [Working Group on Child Influences]" has compiled recommendations for action on how parents should deal responsibly with pictures and videos of children on the Internet.
In order to protect children from risks and safeguard their rights, the "Arbeitsgruppe Kinder-Influencing", which consists of seven interdisciplinary institutions in the field of media education, youth media protection and children's media and is coordinated by Media Smart e. V., has developed comprehensive recommendations for action. These should make it easier for parents to accompany their children on the Internet and enable them to deal with social networks in a reflective and safe manner.
"Looking at the issue of influencing, it has been observed for some time that the actors are getting younger and younger. For us, it was important to raise parents' awareness of the possible risks that can accompany the posting of children's pictures or videos on the social web. At the same time, we also wanted to provide them with concrete information and tips on how to deal with the topic responsibly," explains Dr. Claudia Lampert from the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI).
Managing Director of Media Smart, Michael Haas: "We are pleased that we have developed a guideline with recommendations for action on child influencing, which enables parents, educators, agencies and advertisers to protect children from risks on the Internet without taking away their freedom of development.
Original publication
The document can be downloaded here and is available at www.mediasmart.de/kinder-influencing.